The Giggle combines both elements of the other 60th anniversary specials for a fun large scale adventure with some more disturbing moments interspersed throughout. It's nice to see Doctor Who be angry again as it's so ready to critique the hatred that's rife in the modern world and only made worse by technological advancements.
It's also a regeneration episode like no other, doing something new and exciting, confirming that this new era of Who won't be empty nostalgia. Tennant's run as the 14th Doctor has been brief but still a gift and this episode still finds the time to make his final moments sink in, giving him a send off that makes the return absolutely worth it.
David Tennant and Catherine Tate continue to be an all time great duo here with the episode giving them plenty of moments that are funny and sincere. Neil Patrick Harris' Toymaker is a top tier villain purely because of the delightful villainy the character is imbued with. Ncuti Gatwa really couldn't have made a better first impression than what he does with the limited screen time.
Chanya Button directs the episode with an energy that's easily able to match Tennant's mobility. There's a lot of impressive stuff done with the Toymaker's reality distorting games that constantly keeps the episode on its toes, helped by some snappy editing and it certainly has one of the most thrilling games of catch ever put to screen.
